sun was perched on the horizon, and pink and purple clouds contrasted with the iridescence of the water. “Beautiful evening,” he said.
She nodded again. “Yeah.”
Grasping for a conversation starter, Steve said, “So tell me more about your classes. Were you able to straighten out that history teacher thing?” He already knew the answer, but hoped it would help her open up to him.
A beep caught Madison’s attention before she could answer, and she dug into her purse, pulling out her cell phone. Staring at it for a minute, she began typing. Then she stopped and set the phone on the table. “Sorry, Dad. What were you saying?”
“I was asking about your history teacher this year.”
“What about him?”
“Did you get it changed? I think you said Luke recommended someone else.”
“Oh. Yeah. It’s taken care of,” she replied. The phone beeped again, and she picked it up and began reading the message.
Steve could feel himself getting impatient. He was about to say something when the waitress approached the table. “Here you go,” she said, placing the dip and chips in the center of the table. Are you ready to order, or should I come back in a few minutes?” she asked.
Steve glanced at his watch—7:00. “We’d better order. We have a date at the theater at eight.”
She whipped open her pad and stood poised to write. Looking at Madison, she asked, “What can I get for you tonight?”
“I’ll have the spinach salad, please. With dressing on the side and no bacon.”
The waitress nodded as she wrote. Then she glanced over to Steve.
“I’ll have the pork chops,” he said.
“Great. I’ll get those orders in right away.” Leaning over, she took their menus. “Enjoy your dip.”
Steve dug in. “Try some, Maddie. It’s really good.”
She hesitated and then picked up a chip, scooping a tiny bit of the dip before popping it in her mouth.
Steve smiled. “Good, huh?”
She nodded. “I’m going to the ladies’ room,” she said, pushing back her chair. “Be right back.” She stood to her feet and walked carefully on her stilts in the direction of the restrooms.
Steve took a deep breath and sighed. He looked down at the dip. Someone might as well enjoy this, he said to himself silently. By the time Madison returned five minutes later, he’d eaten most of it. As she took her seat again, he pushed it slightly in her direction. “The rest is yours,” he said.
She shook her head. “No thanks. I’ll just wait for my salad.”
Once the dinner arrived, Steve knew they’d need to hurry. They ate mostly in silence as the sun disappeared and the sky darkened.
“Any dessert tonight?” their waitress asked when they were finished.
Steve glanced at his watch again. “Better not. I’ll just take the bill, please.” After she’d handed it to him, he turned to Madison. “We can have some dessert during intermission if you’d like.”
She just smiled.
“So, how did it go?” Michelle asked, once she and Steve were alone in the kitchen later that night.
He shrugged. “Okay, I guess. We didn’t really get to talk much. She was texting with someone at the restaurant, and we had to eat pretty quickly to get to the theater in time.”
“Did she eat?”
“Some salad. And one bite of artichoke dip.”
“What did you think of that outfit?” Michelle asked.
“I think you know the answer to that one.” He paused and then asked, “Don’t you supervise her purchases?”
Michelle bristled, and her tone gave him a clear warning. “She’s not a little girl anymore, Steve. She doesn’t want me following her around in the shops. But to answer your question, yes, I do look at everything she buys with the money I give her. She claims this outfit is something she got with her own money.”
He shook his head. “I can tell you one thing—she was turning heads in the restaurant. I felt pretty uncomfortable walking through there with her. Either I looked like an older man
She nodded again. “Yeah.”
Grasping for a conversation starter, Steve said, “So tell me more about your classes. Were you able to straighten out that history teacher thing?” He already knew the answer, but hoped it would help her open up to him.
A beep caught Madison’s attention before she could answer, and she dug into her purse, pulling out her cell phone. Staring at it for a minute, she began typing. Then she stopped and set the phone on the table. “Sorry, Dad. What were you saying?”
“I was asking about your history teacher this year.”
“What about him?”
“Did you get it changed? I think you said Luke recommended someone else.”
“Oh. Yeah. It’s taken care of,” she replied. The phone beeped again, and she picked it up and began reading the message.
Steve could feel himself getting impatient. He was about to say something when the waitress approached the table. “Here you go,” she said, placing the dip and chips in the center of the table. Are you ready to order, or should I come back in a few minutes?” she asked.
Steve glanced at his watch—7:00. “We’d better order. We have a date at the theater at eight.”
She whipped open her pad and stood poised to write. Looking at Madison, she asked, “What can I get for you tonight?”
“I’ll have the spinach salad, please. With dressing on the side and no bacon.”
The waitress nodded as she wrote. Then she glanced over to Steve.
“I’ll have the pork chops,” he said.
“Great. I’ll get those orders in right away.” Leaning over, she took their menus. “Enjoy your dip.”
Steve dug in. “Try some, Maddie. It’s really good.”
She hesitated and then picked up a chip, scooping a tiny bit of the dip before popping it in her mouth.
Steve smiled. “Good, huh?”
She nodded. “I’m going to the ladies’ room,” she said, pushing back her chair. “Be right back.” She stood to her feet and walked carefully on her stilts in the direction of the restrooms.
Steve took a deep breath and sighed. He looked down at the dip. Someone might as well enjoy this, he said to himself silently. By the time Madison returned five minutes later, he’d eaten most of it. As she took her seat again, he pushed it slightly in her direction. “The rest is yours,” he said.
She shook her head. “No thanks. I’ll just wait for my salad.”
Once the dinner arrived, Steve knew they’d need to hurry. They ate mostly in silence as the sun disappeared and the sky darkened.
“Any dessert tonight?” their waitress asked when they were finished.
Steve glanced at his watch again. “Better not. I’ll just take the bill, please.” After she’d handed it to him, he turned to Madison. “We can have some dessert during intermission if you’d like.”
She just smiled.
“So, how did it go?” Michelle asked, once she and Steve were alone in the kitchen later that night.
He shrugged. “Okay, I guess. We didn’t really get to talk much. She was texting with someone at the restaurant, and we had to eat pretty quickly to get to the theater in time.”
“Did she eat?”
“Some salad. And one bite of artichoke dip.”
“What did you think of that outfit?” Michelle asked.
“I think you know the answer to that one.” He paused and then asked, “Don’t you supervise her purchases?”
Michelle bristled, and her tone gave him a clear warning. “She’s not a little girl anymore, Steve. She doesn’t want me following her around in the shops. But to answer your question, yes, I do look at everything she buys with the money I give her. She claims this outfit is something she got with her own money.”
He shook his head. “I can tell you one thing—she was turning heads in the restaurant. I felt pretty uncomfortable walking through there with her. Either I looked like an older man
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